Ben Carson files for Kansas presidential caucus

Ben Carson officially filed for the Kansas presidential caucus Friday, according to the Kansas Republican Party.

Carson, a neurosurgeon seeking the presidency, has made multiple stops in Kansas – for fundraisers and book signing events – in the past month.

"Kansas represents middle America. I mean, it’s the heartland," Carson said at an event in Topeka last week. "If we have a representative-type government, you’ve got to know what all the people think. Not just the people in the big cities or the east or the west coast."

Clay Barker, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, said in a phone call that he had received a check for the $15,000 filing fee from Carson’s campaign. Other candidates to pay the fee so far are Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and real estate mogul Donald Trump. The caucus takes place the first week of March.

Carson is polling second behind Trump in national polls, according to the site RealClearPolitics, which aggregates polling data. Carson is polling at 22 percent compared to Trump’s 26.8 percent. Neither has held elected office.

No other candidate is polling at double digits, according to RealClearPolitics.

During a book signing in Topeka last week, supporters cited Carson’s Christian faith as a reason they were backing the candidate.

Mark Peterson, a professor of political science at Washburn University, said Carson appeals to the same voters who gave former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum a victory in the Kansas caucus in 2012.

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 6:28 AM with the headline "Ben Carson files for Kansas presidential caucus."